Stag from Downunder

J

joeshredd

Joined
May 8, 2002
Messages
2,254
Hey guys,

I have never really found a liking for stag... until recently. I don't know, it just never really held much appeal. Well, as I've collected knives and met makers and seen so many different styles over the years - I've finally broken down and learned some of the beauty in stag. I'll admit, this isn't my first piece of stag, but it is one niece knife!

Jason Cutter Blades (also the source of the photo!) made this one and I felt due to it's blade style and steel, it would really fit in with some of my other medium length blades...

The steel is O1 with a double heat treat, @ 4 1/2" long with a stag native to Australia (IIR!, it might be red stag from Europe - Jason? Any recollections?)

And the piece is a very solid presence in the hand; we are talking ROBUST! And yes, fit and finish are excellent with very little evidence of transitions between materials in the handle... And of course, the blade is wickedly sharp!

Jason, my thanks! You are another one we need to keep an eye on!
 
Are you kiddin' me? Stag rules!:D That's a nice knife - portable size and useful blade shape. Jason does good work. Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Roger
 
I used to like stag, but it's getting harder and harder to find nice stag, and when you do find it you always have to pay a premium for it. Or maybe it's just becoming played out.

That's a nice looking knife, but I wonder how it would look in Maroon Micarta?


Ahhhhhh, if anyone is buying this I got a really nice bridge to show you. ;)

Nice work Jason, nice score Joe.
 
That doesn't look like Sambar to me. It looks more like European Red Deer antler. Even if it is it is still very nice.
 
I chanced across this thread. I too am very fond of stag antler handles. That IS Red Deer antler. Red Deer is an introduced species from Western Europe, England and the like, by the settlers for game and food. Some is farmed - a lot of the antlers are quite small and thin-walled. But some of the cast antlers are up to 48inches in spread with 8 or more points per side. Down Under we get Rusa, Sambar and Red Deer as well as Chital and Fallow, I have antlers of all of them, but sadly the Sambar are all quite small even if they are very, very dense in comparison.

BTW, here are some better pictures of that knife from my own album. Thanks again. Jason.
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Thanks guys...
Keith, I wasn't trying to imply Sambar... although my Todd Begg pair are, but whatever kind of stag, this is one that really fits the hand and feels good and secure! Although my only fault with this style handle is that it remains very lefty/righty oriented - I mean this one is definitely comfortable in one hand and not the other (although it would still work!) I think that has always been my one complaint about stag handles - they only feel truly comfortable in one hand or the other... Maybe my ambitexterity is what draws me more to the sculpted handle shape... Either way, this is still one very pleasant knife to hold... and if I ever get to use it... I'll let you know! LOL!!:cool:

Thanks Jason!
 
Jason you forgot to mention we have hog deer here as well to make up the sixth of the deer species introduced into Aus back in the 1860`s.

I have read on an English site that sambar was very dense antler and made great handles...is this right?
 
Problem with hog deer is that hunting them in Victoria is very restricted with severe licensing required. 1/6th the deer population is a lot - I wonder how the hunting restrictions factor in that ?? I guess the bigger thing for knifemakers is that hog deer has teensy weensy antlers - good for miniatures !! ;) :D Cheers. Jason.
 
Hay Jase good for teensy weensy knives maybe hahaha actually i have seen some nice hoggy antlers that a decent slab could be taken from for the smaller blade works.
Where in Melb are you i`m from the Essendon side
 
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